Fans brave the elements for the big show

Thousands of rodeo fans ignored occasional rain, constant wind, and low temperatures to enjoy five days of spills, thrills, chills, and a new arena record in tie-down roping at the 77th annual Sisters Rodeo.

Sisters Rodeo offers the largest purse anywhere on the rodeo circuit during the second week of June, which virtually guarantees that the nation's top cowboys and cowgirls will come from across the nation, and indeed the world, for a shot at the money and a champion's buckle.

Veteran announcer Curt Robinson, who has been bringing his distinctive voice to rodeo for over 30 years, told The Nugget, "I think it went really, really well, considering the weather. The crowds were outstanding every night."

Robinson, who - along with his partner in the announcing booth Wayne Brooks - brings insight, humor, and his distinctive voice to every performance, remarked that "Except for one night when we threw off all the bull riders, we had somebody in the money every night."

Wednesday featured the sixth annual offering of Xtreme Bulls, a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association event which lures the nation's top bull riders for a rich purse and the opportunity to climb in the PRCA world standings. Xtreme Bulls is a popular event, and has been featured at Sisters Rodeo since 2012.

In this year's buck-out Trent Jacobson, from Irwin, Idaho, earned the first finals and aggregate win of his career, and took home his first-ever prize money in an Xtreme Bulls event. Jacobson battled hard, securing the 10th position in the final round with a 73-point ride on a bull called Ozone, owned by the Corey and Lange Rodeo Company, the same bull that turned out an incredible 90-point ride at a spring rodeo in Clovis, California.

In the finals, Jacobson covered Anchor Man, a bull ridden only three times for score, to an 85.5, the finals and aggregate championship, and nearly $5,000 in prize money.

The full rodeo commenced on Thursday, with cowboys and cowgirls battling each night for a win and their overall position in the aggregate. On Thursday night, Westyn Hughes of Caldwell, Texas, set a new arena record in tie-down roping with a 7.6-second run on a sprightly calf in the second go-round, breaking the original mark set by Blair Burk of Durant, Oklahoma in 1997, and tied last year by Matt Shiozawa of Chubbock, Idaho.

Friday-night action saw Mat Turner of Gundagai, Australia, turn in a 73.5-point ride in bareback riding for the win, and a 3.7-second steer-wrestling victory by Scott Guenthner of Provost, Alberta.

Saturday results saw Jane Melby make an incredible 17.39 run for the barrel racing win, and Nevada cowboy Wyatt Denny finishing in a tie with Clayton Biglow of Clements, California, at 76.5 in the bareback grind.

Sunday saw the final round of action and the squaring up of several tight-run contests in the aggregate. When it was all over, Mount Vernon cowboy Trevor Knowles - an Oregon favorite and perennial National Finals Rodeo contestant - split the steer wrestling aggregate with Olin Hannum of Malad, Idaho, earning nearly $4,000 for his efforts.

In saddle bronc riding, two-time World Champion Taos Muncy of Corona, New Mexico, who survived a spill at last year's rodeo when his horse went down, and who has lifetime winnings of nearly $1.5 million in the PRCA, took home a winner's buckle and $4,300.

The 2009 Indian National Finals Rodeo winner Brooks Dahozy of Window Rock, Arizona, and his teammate Jason Duby of Klamath Falls, took home the team-roping title with a 12.7-second time in the aggregate.

In barrel racing, Jane Melby from Burneyville, Oklahoma, won a close-run contest over second-place finisher Tillar Murray from Texas. Melby held on by 5/10s of a second at 17.39 for over $4,000 in prize money.

The bareback riding crown went to Justin Miller of Billings, Montana, and the tie-down aggregate championship went to Shane Hanchey, at 17.9 seconds, good enough for nearly $4,500.

The US Bank All Around Cowboy buckle was awarded to Jordan Ketscher, who was the only contestant to win money in two events. Ketscher, of Squaw Valley, California, pocketed over $1,200 dollars in tie-down and team roping.

Fans of Sisters Rodeo, who come from all over the country to enjoy one of the finer rodeo contests in America, proved their own mettle by coming out in droves - in less than ideal weather - to cheer on their favorite rodeo athletes and to support this signature event.

As Curt Robinson told The Nugget, "Every event, every performance, had something to offer. And you can't ask for better than that."